Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-12-08
SELECT POETRY.
The CoEvICTs CHRISTMAS EVE.

THE COEVICTs CHRISTMAS EVE.
\ The tern was done; ny penalty was IGsti
l saw tho outside OF the walls At last.
! When left shat stone punishment of sin,
| Twas most as hard es when hrst went in.
II seemed at once as though the Swift-yoiced air
Told slandsrOus tales about ME everywhere:
As if the ground itself was striking back
For fear 'tuOuld get the Gains mark Of my track.
Women would edge away, with shrewd she-suesseN
As if my worry glance would spoil their dresses:
Men looked me over with close. careless gaze,
And understood my downcast, lail-bred ways,
Ny hands were so gTina-hardsned and defled,
wouldn't have had the cheek to pet q child
II had spoken TO a dog that day,
He would have tipped his nose and walked awny:
And so l wandered in Jail of doubt,
Whence neither heaven nor earth would let cut.
The world itself seemed TO ME every bit
As hard prison Is the one I'd quit.
If you are made Of anything but din,
If you We u sOul that other souls can hurt,
Turn TO the right hencetorth, whoever passes;
Its death TO drop Lnong the lawless classes
Men lose, who love the friendship Of the law;
A blessing from each breath of air they draw;
They know the advantage Of a good square faoe,
When theirs hns been dishgured By diAgr6ec.
So trudged round appropriately slow
For one with particular place 10 so.
The houses scowled and stared as ifHto say.
You jsil-bird, are honest; walk away
stand back! unsentsnoed men are working karer
And virtue had TIL appearances all the time
VI trying hard to push me back TO crime.
1t struck me strange that stormy snow-bleacheA day
To watch the different people on the way.
All carrying bundles, of all sorts of sizes,
As carefully as gold and silver pTizss.
Well dressed or poor, could not undeTsAn
Why each one hugged bundle in his hand.
asked an old policeman what it meant.
De looked me over with his eyes ehrewdly beat,
NhilO muttering in a voice that fairly froEs,
Its cause to-norrow's Christmas. sdppoes-o
And then the fact came crashing over me,
How horribly alons Iran ean be!
don't prstend what tortures yet nay wait
For touls tAst have not their efoainss srsisht
It isn't for mortal Ignorance TO say
What kind OF night n,sy follow any day;
There may be pain for sin some time found oat
That sin on earth knows nothing yet about;
But don't think there's any haxbor known
Worse for a wrecked soul than TO be alone.
Alone-there maybe never has oeourrSd
word whose gloom is gloemier than that wonl!
You who can brighten up your Christmas joys
With all affections small but mighty toys,
Who fancy that your gifts Of love be rash,
And presents are not worth their price In caeh.
Thank Sod, with love and thrift no Dope St wa<.
That you'yo some one TO spend your money for!
A dollar plays very 6ngy part
Till mngneti1ed by rome onos grateful heart.
SO evening ne struggling uP and dovA
Within the gaily lighted, desolnte town,
A hungry, sad heart hermit all tAe while,
Ny rough face begsing for friendly szails.
Folks talked with folks in ncw-meds warmth and
glee,
But 40 one had word or look for me;
Love flowed like wster, but it could not make
The world forgive mo for nay one mistake.
An open church some look of welcome wors;
l crept in soft, and sat down near the door.
I'd never seen mongst my unhappy FHoe
So many happy children in one place;
l never knew how much hymn could bring
From heaven, until heard those children sing:
l never saw such sweet-breathed gsles OF gleo
AS swept around that fruitful Christmas-treo.
You who have tripped through childhood's merry
days
With passionate lovc protecting all your ways,
Who did not Christmas-:ine go by
Without some present for your sparkling eye,
Thank God whose goodness gave such JOY its birth.
And scattered hssven-seeds in the dust Of eeIth!
In stons-pavSd ground my thorny held wns set:
l never had a Christmas present Jet.
And SO sat and saw t.lem, and eonfass
Felt all tn unhappier for their happiness;
And when man gets into such state,
He's very prold-or ven desolate.
inst then a CRY OF "Pirer' among.t us eameS
The pretty Christrnas-tree was all afame;
And one sweet ckild there in our startled gaze
The crowd seemed crazy-liko, both old and young,
And very swift of speech, though Glow Of tongus.
But one knew what 10 do, and not 10 say,
And he convict. Just let lose that day.
fought like one who deals in deadly strife:
wrapped my life around that child's sweet life;
choked the flames that choked her. with rich clsaks
Stol'n from some good but very frightened folks;
gave the dear girl to her parents sight,
/ tore the blazing branches from the treo;
And all was safe, and no one hurt but me.
I hat night of which asked for sleep In vain,
That stabbed mo with fierce TEXTURES through and
through,
Was still the happiest that over knew.
| felt that / at last had earned place
Among my race, by suffering for my race;
/ felt the glorious facts wouldn't let me miss
A mothcr's thanks-psrhaps Il child's sweet kiss;
That mans wRrm gratitude would ind plan
To lift me mp, and help me- be man.
Next day they brought lottcr to my bee.
| opened it with tingliDg nerves and read:
''You have upon my kindness certain claims
For rescuing my young child from the flames;
Such deeds hsnd un.tained by crime;
trust you will reform while yet there's time.
The blackest sinner may find mercy still,
Enclosed please inda thousand dollar bill.
Our paths of course different roads must ltei
Don't follow ne for any more. Good-by.
scerched tho dirty rag till it uos black;
Enclosed il in q rag and cent 1t back.
That very night cracked a tradesnsl's door,
Stcie with my blisteyed hands ton thousand more.
Which next day took special pains to send
To my good. distant. wealthy, high-toned fTisne
And wrote upon it in y steady hand,
In words l hoped he wouldn't misunderstaRd:
Money is cheap. rs have shown you here,
But gratitude AID sympathy are dear.
These rags ere rtolen-haVs been HpT ofteu beI
trust the one wasn't that you sent TO me.
Hoping your pride and you are reconeiled-
crspt to eurrt-a crushed, triumphant wozn-
Confessed the theft. and took another tdH.
My life closed. and began; and am back
Among the rogues that walk the brosdgsuged track.
/ toll mid every sort of sin that's known;
1 walk rough roads-but do not walk ALoSA
VIII Carleton, In Harper's Magazine for Dooenhes.